Bike won't start, no spark, no error codes

[scotia_steve]

My 08 R1200GS won't start. It's done this before but I put it down to the Fuel Pump Relay which was replaced with the new type or the battery.

Yesterday, our first cold morning here on a full battery charge it wouldn't start.

Turns over fine.

Has fuel.

No spark.

No warning lights.

Won't start on jump.

Emergency services came out, couldn't fix it. Tried jumping it with the special BMW jump box, still didn't catch.

It's being recovered this morning but wondered if anyone else had anything similar. The battery is now not charging well at all or holding charge on the optimate, I ordered an Odyssey yesterday anyway as the BMW one is crap.

As it turns over and has no spark my thought was crank senor or something like that electrical.... I take it a duff battery would not get in the way when jumping of starting the bike up?

Any ideas?

 

[JPB]

Problem with the kill switch or sidestand cut-out possibly?

 

[scotia_steve]

Nope, it turned over.

Seemingly a dead cell in the battery or terminal! Although I'm not sure how it couln't be jumped...

Fixed it myself with an Odyssey battery and fired up first time...

 

[Blackal]

Nope, it turned over.

Seemingly a dead cell in the battery or terminal! Although I'm not sure how it couln't be jumped...

Fixed it myself with an Odyssey battery and fired up first time...

Hang on Steve....................

It turned over (on the old battery) - but won't spark?............... and you have fixed it with a new battery?

Mmmm ............... I'm not seeing it?

Al

 

[scotia_steve]

Hang on Steve....................

It turned over (on the old battery) - but won't spark?............... and you have fixed it with a new battery?

Mmmm ............... I'm not seeing it?

Al

Wierd eh! Works fine with new battery. BMW Emergency said it had no spark.... Funnily enough, last time it happened the battery got charges and it started. Wouldn't hold a charge this time though. Odyssey battery is a pane to fit!

 

[Pukmeister]

Odyssey battery is slightly taller, some posts on this site about bike fires caused by the under seat height adjustment bar shorting across the battery terminals.

Be careful how you fit it and all should be fine.

 

[BeemerBaz]

As a precaution I have laid a piece of rubber matting over the top of the battery because on closer examination I can see where the seat bar was resting on the positive terminal.

 

[D6]

on some yamahas, the ignition does not spark when the battery is under 11.8 v, but the engine turns over fine,
hard to find, cos if the plugs are checked out of the engine, they spark because there's less strain on battery turning the engine wi no plugs in,
put em back in, engine turns to compression, and battery goes under 11.8,no spark !!
was this happening???dunno if it does on a bmv?

 

[scotia_steve]

There was no spark from the top left and right plug, old battery was turning over engine albeit slowly. Not sure if the guy did it right or whether the 12.3v was too low to start the bike.

The old battery wouldn't accept a charge at all on Thursday night.

The new Odyssey battery I mounted with the terminals towards the back of the bike as I wasn't happy with the terminals so close to the seat post. The seat won't go on a low level anymore, no big deal. The instructions don't relate to the 2008 model on onwards GS as the positive routing has to be different. Not chancing anything with this isntal and was vvvv careful so seems fine.

The main things:

• First time this happened, a charge of the battery cured the issue.
  
• Second time, battery seemed to give up and a jump start wouldn't cure from BMW.
  
• As soon as I put the Odyssey battery in the bike fired up. I took it on a long run today and checked the voltage when I went out and came back - same and it is charging on the bike so that part is fine.
  
• Either the disconnecting of the battery resolved or the old battery had some fault (as it wouln't accept charge at all) and was the primary cause! Wierd a jump wouldn't start it but I suppose there could be a major failure in the battery that caused this.

Fingers crossed this resolves it. The BMW guy said most break downs he sees are GS's with either a battery of FPC fault....

 

[Riktus]

I have same problem on a 2006 bike - have had for 2 years now. Dealer has been trying to cure it and agreed to fit a new fuel pump controller a few weeks ago. Never been stuck after fitting an odessey battery but there are times when the battery is still stuggling to start the bike.

Even after the new fuel pump controller it still has an intermittent starting problem. I think it is a faulty injector - cos when it eventually starts it runs like a bag of spanners for about 20 seconds. Then can be fine for days.

Battery always in good condition and eventually starts the bike but sometimes takes 4 or 5 goes to fire up.

Just been on a bike weekend with some mates (treasure hunt type of thing) and the bike started fine - ran down to garage for fuel (2 mins away) then it had the fault of poor starting and bad running for 20 secs after fueled up. Used it all weekend for the treasure hunt thing - bike must have been started 40 or 50 times and it never put a foot wrong.....

Bloody frustrated with it and BMW tech support have not got a clue - dealer seems keen to keep my business though.

Rik

 

[scotia_steve]

I think you're right - maybe a fuel injector.

I started this eve, didn't fire first time, did second with a little throttle. Started several times after that and all fine.

Will give the dealer a shout on Tuesday when they open and ask them to check for error codes!

Will also check all the fuel injector connections, you never know At least it starts now!

 

[Whitesnake]

Hang on Steve....................

It turned over (on the old battery) - but won't spark?............... and you have fixed it with a new battery?

Mmmm ............... I'm not seeing it?

Al

I had a similar thing happen years ago with a GPz750 ("yes"a jap bike problem)
It would turn over but not start or bump start? Turned out the battery produced enough volts to wang it over - but not enough amps to start it.

 

[Riktus]

Deffo not battery - and your injector will not through up error codes. Only true way to tell is to change parts one by one (thats what my dealer tells me)

Could have been real fed up but the bike is so good other than this issue.

Mine tends to be worse if i turn the ignition on and let it go through the check process then leave it for 20 seconds - it can replicate the problem. Bike will not start even after hearing a short electrical sound (I assume fuel pump) but if I leave ignition on and wait 10 seconds and hit starter button after about 4 cycles there is another electrical sound (again I assume it is the pump) the bike then will always start.
Thats why dealer changed the FPC unit - but as I said it is still faulty.

Rik

 

[scotia_steve]

It seems fine now after several attempts. Fires up right away every time.

Last time a battery charge solve. And the fpc replaced ad a precaution. Will run it by the dealer for them to check.

I read in the manual that it needs a partial throttle when cold to start, maybe that's what I need to do. Great bike apart from this hiccup.

So many sensors on these bikes, just one could throw it...

Went over all the connectors, making sure all is good just to be sure

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Starting problems

I thought you just took the bike to the nearest dealer and they plugged it into the computer and it tells you everything?

 

[Bear]

I thought you just took the bike to the nearest dealer and they plugged it into the computer and it tells you everything?

Does this mean that BMW supply a van or trailer with every motorcycle? How else do you get there when it won't start?

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Does this mean that BMW supply a van or trailer with every motorcycle? How else do you get there when it won't start?

Well, scotia_steve did say......"It's being recovered this morning but wondered if anyone else had anything similar."

 

[scotia_steve]

BMW picked it up, dealer coulnd't look at it right away so I nipped down with a new Odyssey battery and replaced it in their carpark as the old battery was def gone so no point them testing that. Started first time so I took the bike away. Still not 100% about it although I started it several times today, never a problem.... I can feel both injectors firing and assume if anything it must have been battery or sensor related....

 

[Brian ROSEN]

" I ordered an Odyssey yesterday anyway as the BMW one is crap." Well not in my experience of ten different BMW's over 30 years. On airheads the alternator output was often marginal (around 280W) but the oillheads gave a lot more and my first 1200GS (despite servo brakes) never had any trouble whatsoever - alternator was 6OOW. Now my 2008 model has a 720W alternator (and no servo) and I do not anticipate any trouble.
Was your battery not still under guarantee?

 

[scotia_steve]

" I ordered an Odyssey yesterday anyway as the BMW one is crap." Well not in my experience of ten different BMW's over 30 years. On airheads the alternator output was often marginal (around 280W) but the oillheads gave a lot more and my first 1200GS (despite servo brakes) never had any trouble whatsoever - alternator was 6OOW. Now my 2008 model has a 720W alternator (and no servo) and I do not anticipate any trouble.
Was your battery not still under guarantee?

The BMW one isn't good for cold starts, it's well documented and the Emergency guy said most of his non starting problems were with the battery.

I checked the guarantee - only one year on the battery so no joy.

It is starting now and injectors are definitely firing, getting spark. Could be an off-chance of a software issue that was reset when the battery was out. Will run it by the dealer anyway to be sure.

One thing though, the Odyssey is far better at starting and retaining charge but you can't have your seat in the low position up front which is a shame...